Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	bring_v	good_a	treasure_n	13,062	5	10.6433	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81043	A briefe discourse touching a broken heart In which the nature, causes, and signes of it are solidly treated of; as also, its acceptablenesse to God; together with many other motives pressing us to labour after the procurement of it, and the means leading thereunto: Being the summe and substance of certain sermons preached by Mr. Daniel Carwardine, late minister of Eling in the county of Middlesex. And since his death put forth by S.R. a friend of his. Whereunto is annexed, a confession of faith by Mr. Samuel Rowles, late fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge. And now minister of Thistleworth in the county of Middlesex.	Carwardine, Daniel, b. 1600 or 1601.; Rowles, Samuel, fl. 1652.	1652 (1652)	Wing C720; ESTC R230173	37,786	142

by reason of sinne men that have been in the same condition with others who are in any kinde of misery are most inclinable to pitty and commiseration Upon this account it is said of Christ that we have not a high Priest who knoweth not how to be touched with our infirmities in as much as he was made like unto us in all things sinne excepted It is also thus written Heb. 2.18 For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Men that have beene exercised with any kind of bodily infirmities as gout stone collick are best able to pitty those who have the like infirmities So they who have themselves known what belongs to a broken heart will expresse it by their sympathy with others who fall into the same condition Not but that it is matter of rejoycing to see the hearts of our friends broken with godly sorrow if we consider the fruit and effect of it but if we consider it meerely as it is in its selfe what is said of affliction is true of brokenheartednesse No affliction is joyous for the present but grievous but it worketh the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse for them who are exercised therewith So broken heartednesse is not joyous for the present and in that regard it calls for pitty and sympathy though it doe afterwards worke the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse We pitty our friends when their Physicke doth make them heart sicke though we know it will doe them good in the conclusion Thus much shall suffice of the use which is by way of examination c. 5. Vse this should exhort us to labour to get broken and soft hearts For motives whereunto consider these following particulars which are reducible to two generall heads 1. The danger evill and inconvenience of a hard unbroken heart 2. The benefit of a soft broken heart under each of which we might ranke many particulars c. The evills ensuing upon a hard heart are as follow 1. God will not accept but reject an hard heart together with all that which proceedes from it c. See Jer. 4.3 Breake up your fallow grounds sow not amongst thornes circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts lest my fury breake forth like fire and burne that none can quench it How farre is the great God from accepting those the fallow ground of whose heart is not broken up seeing he doth here threaten that the fire of his wrath shall break forth upon them and there shall be none to quench it And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart saith the Apostle treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath That is all any man shall get at the hands of God by a hard heart namely a treasure of wrath you know that God doth chiefly eye with what hearts men do bring their services before him So that if men pray with ever so much appearance of zeale and fervency if they fast ever so often if they give ever so much Almes to the poor if they make ever so large professions of religion c. and their hearts under all this doe still remaine hard and unbroken it is as if they had done nothing at all All their bodily exercise will profit them very little c. 2. A hard heart will shut out all that which would come to doe us good If we have hard hearts mercies will not winne us judgments will not affright us Looke how it is with men of harsh dispositions and and inflexible natures use faire meanes to them and you stirre them not use fowle meanes and they are still at the same passe of insensiblenesse you had as good threaten a wooden post or speak to it friendly and it would be to as much purpose as to threaten such men or to intreate them friendlily Just thus it is with a hard heart It is like stony rocky ground no seede of grace will thrive there how should faith thrive in a heart that is insensible of sinne will they goe to Christ for life who apprehend not that they are lost and dead in themselves How should repentance flourish there where sin is not felt how should they love God much who doe not apprehend that they have many sinnes which had neede to be forgiven A hard heart is so farre from being better for mercies that it waxeth worse and worse under them It turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse Because judgement is not speedily exercised upon the children of disobedience therefore is the heart of the children of men set to doe evill And not onely so but they doe take occasion by the judgments of God also to waxe worse and worse As they are smitten they revolt more and more like the smiths anvill the more it is beaten upon the harder it growes The more plagues God did send upon Pharoah still the more hard and insensible he did grow A hard heart is like the clay that is made more hard by contrary causes both by the warme sunshine as also by the cold frost If God put not more then ordinary efficacie into the meanes a hard heart will rather be worse then better for them c. 3. We can never hope upon good grounds to enter into Heaven with unbroken hearts None shall dwell with God hereafter but those with whom God dwels here Now the text saith that God doth dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite heart thereby intimating that God dwels not with them that are of proud unbroken hearts Thou by thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. That 's all a man gets by a hard heart We reade of some who when they shall come at the day of Judgment and knock saying Lord Lord open to us shall receive this answer I know yee not depart yee workers of iniquity for when I was hungry yee fed me not c. And doe you thinke that hard hearted sinners shall receive any other answer then this Depart c. For when I knocked at the doore of your hearts yee would not open to me though my locks were wet with the dew of the night therefore now will I not open to you If you observe who they are whom Christ pronounceth blessed in his Sermon Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit c. You will finde that the most of those which are there mentioned are men of a temper as contrary to hardnesse of heart as white is to blacke Our Saviour doth there pronounce them blessed who are poore in spirit who mourne who are meek who do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse now these are the properties of broken hearted men and there is nothing more contrary to them then a hard heart Thus have we set before you the great evils attending upon a hard heart namely it hinders our acceptance with God suffers us not to reape benefit by what would otherwise do

us good and which is worst of all it shuts Heaven gate against it which three things are most true concerning it if by a hard heart you understand a heart not in the least truly broken for sinne c. Come we to the second sort of motives which we promised to speake of namely such as are taken from the benefit and usefulnesse of a broken heart The benefits of a soft heart are as follow 1. A soft heart is fit to receive any Grace as soft wax is fit to receive any impression Metal being softned by fire is fit to be wrought in such manner as the artificer doth desire to have it When God is about to stampe his image upon the soule of a man the worke of grace I meane his manner is to prepare the heart thereunto by breaking and softning of it with the power of spirituall conviction As those we read of in the Acts who were pricked at heart which is the first good we heare of them It is said of the spirit that he shall convince first of sinne and then of righteousnesse As ground is prepared to receive the seed by being first ploughed and broken up so likewise is it with the hearts of men It is said That the humble God will teach God makes men teachable by humbling them and then he teacheth them Thou bindest man in cords of affliction and sealest up instruction to him why then namely because men are usually most humble and broken in a time of affliction and therefore most teachable at such a time Now it is a great matter to have our hearts fit to receive good as Scripture counts fitnesse because such a heart is neare unto good good doth as it were lye at the doore of such a heart Many mercies are long comming because the heart is long in fitting to receive them And it is the manner of God in dispensing of mercies first to look that the heart be made fit to receive them as a wise Physitian will not give strong physick till he have prepared the body of his patient for it A smith will not strike his iron till he have first made it hot and so capable of impression from his blow Though God could perfect severall kinds of worke in an instant yet it is his manner to doe things gradually as first to fit men for mercies and then to bestow mercies upon them humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may lift you up in due time If God give men good things before such time as they are fit for them he gives them usually in wrath and not in mercy for their hurt and not for their good It is therefore a great benefit to have our hearts fit to receive good So much of the first motive 2. God will take up his abode in thy heart if it be an humble heart yea Christ will come and the spirit will come and take up their abode in thy heart if it be a soft heart Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite heart to revive the heart of the contrite ones Now this is an expression which speakes much intimacy and nearnesse for God to say that he dwells with them that are of an humble spirit It is a steppe towards familiarity to dwell in the same towne a further steppe to dwel the next doore to any neighbour but beyond either of these to dwell in the same house with any friend how happy would a sick man think himselfe if he had an able Physitian dwelling constantly in the house with him so as to be alwayes at hand when he hath any occasion to make use of him God dwels with broken hearted sinners for that very end that he may revive them If any friend in whose company you take great delight so much indeed that you are not well without him should say well rather then you shall be melancholly for want of my company I will even come dwell with you for altogether would you not count it a great priviledge how much greater priviledge is it to have God and Christ and the spirit dwel with us Oh! who would lose such a priviledge rather then be at the paines to breake a hard heart 3. An humble a soft heart is in the best capacity to be freed from sinne Looke how it is with the ground whilest it is hard and fast bound with frost there is no getting up the weedes if you would ever so faine but when the raine descends upon it and softens it then you may pluck them up with ease Sinne is bound up in the hearts of men whose hearts are hard as weedes are bound in the ground in frosty weather but when it waxeth soft it may be plucked up by the rootes God doth sometimes suffer sinne to continue in greater strength and vigour in the hearts of his people then it otherwise should on purpose to humble them as knowing that nothing can be matter of greater humiliation to a gracious heart then the power and strength of sin within it Some thinke that by the messenger of Sathan which was sent to buffet Paul that he might not be puffed up with revelations we are to understand some sinne whereunto he was tempted as a meanes to keep him humble seeing then it is the manner of God sometimes to break the hearts of good men by suffering their sinnes to remaine in a great measure unsubdued as some good men that are subject to violent passion pensivenesse and discontent of spirit broken heartednesse must needes make way for the delivering men from the Tyranny of their sins for if you take away the cause of sins continuance in good men which is oftimes the want of due humiliation and brokennesse of heart the effect will follow 4. A soft heart is fit to receive all sorts of good things John the Baptist is said to have prepared the way of Christ now you know the great Doctrine which John insisted upon was repentance or broken heartednesse as being very preparatory to the great worke of Christ which was to binde up the broken hearted and to proclaime liberty to the captives to bring the glad tidings of salvation into the world Tidings of pardoning grace is most acceptable and welcome to a broken heart A broken heart is fit for comfort counsell mercy grace and indeed what not that is truely good If you would know in what respect a broken heart is most fit for any kinde of good take this briefe account of it 1. A broken heart stands in the most need of mercy as comfort c. A man is then most fit for meate and drinke when he is most hungry and thirsty and so stands in the greatest neede of it He that hath not so good an appetite is not so fit to eate 2. A soft heart is in the least danger of getting hurt by mercies of being spoiled with kindnesse

thou mayest meete with many helpes and encouragements thereunto one or both from severall hands namely from the word and spirit of God from both law and gospell threatnings and promises mercies and afflictions from things within and things without thee from the living voyce of Gods surviving Ministers who cry as Iohn the Baptist in the Wildernesse Repent repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand as also from the publike labours of Gods servants who are dead and gone and amongst the rest from this little worke which is the onely orphan exposed to publike view of a late reverend and godly Minister who now resteth from his labours The worke is of so very small a bulke that thou mayest reade it over in a few houres but of so great difficulty in respect of practise that thou canst make no great proficiency therein in many dayes weekes or yeares unlesse thou gird up the loines of thy minde and set about it with all earnestnesse Such was the modesty of the author that he could never be prevailed upon by any importunity to suffer any thing of his during his life time to come neere the presse nor yet to consent to it after his death But that some of his friends desirous to erect a memoriall of him and to make him serviceable to the publicke as well since his death as in the time of his life have used him not unlike to Sauls usage of the Prophet Samuel though with a better Conscience and intent calling him forth as it were from the grave into the Land of the living where he was content to have laine in perpetuall silence and obscurity till the day of the revelation of all things The seasonablenesse of the subject was one of the maine inducements moving those to get it published whose desire it was to bring it forth into the light And it must needes he granted that this argument was never more seasonable then now it is hardnesse of heart and haughtinesse of spirit being an epidemicall disease of the present age as he that runs may reade And yet never less complaining of hard hearts then now a dayes but I wonder not at that it being the nature of this distemper to steale upon men so insensibly that they do not onely not perceive it of themselves but are also let loose to an inapprehension of such discoveries as spirituall physitians doe make unto them of their being under the power thereof though they shew them ever so many symptomes to evince the truth of what they charge them with That I lay no false imputation upon the men and women of the present age in saying that their hearts are generally hard above measure is easie to make appeare from severall clea●e demonstrations I shall give you but one which is this we finde by sad experience that the worke of conversion is very much at a stand few there be that are taken in the net of the Gospell in comparison of what had wont to be yea we heare not of many who come so farre as to be pricked at the heart and put that necessary question what shall we doe to be saved whence should this proceede but from the generall hardnesse of mens hearts more then formerly The word of God is as quick and powerfull as sharp and piercing now as ever it was consider it in its selfe for these are inseparable properties of the word of God as we reade Heb. 4.12 but the hearts of men are not so pliable as heretofore they are become law proofe and gospell-proofe more then ever in such a sense as we call that kinde of armour which no bullet oan enter armour of proofe But I have no pleasure in upbraiding men with the hardness of their hearts we had much rather be imployed in provoking them to labour after the softning and mollifying of them that they may send forth a fragrant smell into the nostrils of the great God as spices being bruised are most fragrant If thou wilt ply this worke of labouring to breake thy heart Evangelically besides all those excellent helpes whereof I told thee before which doe most willingly offer themselves to thy assistance there are others thou mayest have for pressing and compelling such as thou little dreamest of namely the Divell the world and the flesh all and every of which by the power of God and grace may be made use of towards the breaking of thy hard heart If thou take this passage for a riddle the meaning of it is this the people of God reflecting upon and laying to heart those motions of sin which are continually stirring in them as also those severall temptations both from the divell and world whereunto they are daily and hourely obnoxious are hereby greatly humbled and abased in their own eyes as Paul was by reason of the body of death which he carryed about with him and the Messenger of Sathan which was sent to buffet him Surely this was the english of that good mans paradox who said he had sometimes received hurt by his graces and good by his sins the good which his sins did him surely was no other then this that they did serve to humble him and make him poore in spirit Though it be a very spirituall and excellent imployment to admire the riches of Gods love revealed in the Gospel and to rejoyce therein yet this is not a Christians onely worke whilest he sojourneth in this vale of teares as some would represent it who affect this kind of sublimity in the state of grace which is proper for and consistent onely with the condition of glorified Saints in Heaven If we could imagine sinne to be in Heaven there would be occasion for sorrow and brokennesse of heart even there also because there are certain actions in the state of grace sinfull actions committed by us which shall never be in the state of glory Thence it is that there are passions and affections also proper for this state which shall be done away in that as sorrow brokenness of heart c. Surely Christ was no whit angry with Peter but rather well pleased at it for weeping bitterly after that he had denyed his Lord and Master When Peter did flow with teares then did Christ cast an eye of compassion towards him The ensuing discourse will furnish thee wiih many motives unto brokenness of heart I shall therefore spare the labour of mentioning any save onely this one consideration tending thereunto namely that the heart of man is almost the onely thing amongst all created things that remains unbroken I say there are few pieces of the creation round about us but have been or are exceedingly broken were not the apostatizing Angels greatly broken when they were cast down from Heaven like lightning and thrust into the nethermost hell Is not the image of God in man exceedingly broken and defaced in comparison of what it was in the state of innocency are not the severall faculties of the souls of men their understandings

to the sun beames are soone melted though there have beene ever so great a frost but those places that are in the shade when the Sun is kept off by hedges or the like continue to be hard when all the rest are thawed Sinne intercepts the light of Gods countenance keepes back the warme rayes of the Sun from shining upon the souls of men which is the most effectuall meanes to thaw and melt them of any other Sinne breedes strangenesse betwixt God and men causeth fallings out between them now as it is with friends when there is any falling out or strangenesse betweene them they begin to be hardned against one another and they can speake and doe that against each other without any trouble which they could not do at another time upon any termes c. 3. Meane It were good to call to minde every night what have beene our failings that day be humbled before God for that or those sins whatsoever they have been We say Gutta cavat lapidem Continuall dropping upon makes the hardest stone become hollow so the most stony heart would probably become soft by the continuall dropping of daily humiliation and selfe examination If the Sun begin to shine out by that time it hath frozen but a day or so it will presently thaw it So it is good for us to thaw the ice of our hearts before it have beene so long frozen that it will beare you know when ice is come to that passe men doe walke or ride upon it without feare He that shall but seldome call himselfe to an account for his miscarriages will goe nigh to grow so bold in the interim that he will be past feare of what conscience can say to him yea he will also goe nigh to have forgotten many sins which might be matter of deepe humiliation to him if they were fresh in his memory Besides that sinne doth oftimes looke most ghastly upon men and most like it selfe soon after the commission of it whilest all circumstances are yet before them whereas the sense and apprehension of it is apt to weare out by degrees and like meat that hath laine long in the stomack it begins to be digested by little and little till at length they complaine no more of it If David did every day call to minde a sin committed long before as that passage seemes to imply my sinne is ever before me c. How much more should we each day call to minde the sins of the present day 4. Meane We must labour to see our misery by reason of sinne There is a world of misery which attends sinne the consideration whereof might serve greatly to humble us For you know misery is a very humbling consideration 't is hardly possible for a man to thinke himselfe very miserable and yet be very proud at the same time I need not put you upon considering what mischiefe sinne doth expose you to it may suffice unto the breaking of our hearts to think what misery sin hath actually brought upon us It made Paul cry out O wretched man that he was c. Gods people count themselves more miserable upon the account of that body of sinne which they carry about with them then upon account of all the calamities in the world besides Crosses could never make them miserable were it not for sinne I meane nothing like so miserable as now they doe It is their frowardnesse and impatience which doubles and trebles every affliction 5. Meane We must consider of the great mercy of God towards us in giving us hope that we shall be freed from hell and received up into heaven Some may thinke it strange that the mercies of God should be reckoned amongst the meanes of breaking mens hearts And yet there is nothing more true see Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance Paul was able to say Rom. 7.25 I thanke God thorough Jesus Christ namely for delivering of him from the condemning power of his sinne and yet he cryeth out in the verse immediatly foregoing O wretched man that I am c. see Titus 2.11 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness we should live soberly righteously and godly c. Observe that he saith the grace of God which brings salvation appearing to him did teach him to deny ungodlinesse and to live godly c. If an ingenuous spirit would set it self to mourne over any offence committed by it it could use no more effectuall motive then the consideration of the severall favours and kindnesses received from them against whom the offence was committed Now what greater favour is possible for a man to call to minde then this that by the free grace of God in Christ he hath beene delivered from the wrath to come and brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God 6. Meane We must beg a soft heart at the hands of God for if we aske it sincerely we shall have it God having promised that whatsoever we shall aske in the name of Christ according to his will he will heare us Therefore let us presse him with his promise as we have cause You cannot please God better then by going to him for certaine mercies concerning which he delighteth to be sought unto by the sons of men you know how well God approved of it when Solomon did aske for wisdome instead of asking gold and silver c. Surely a petition put up for a soft heart will be every whit as acceptable or rather more c. There are certain requests which if men would be earnest with God in and lay the stresse of their desires upon would be greatly beneficiall and advantagious to them farre beyond those petitions which the most of men are wont chiefely to insist upon and urge with the greatest strength and heate of affection A soft heart is one of those of which may be truly said what is spoken concerning Faith namely that it is more precious and let me adde more rare then gold Well might the Scripture say Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought c. It being the manner of most men to pray most for what they have least need of or will doe them least good and least for them of which they stand in the most need and from whence they might reape the greatest good If men be sick how earnestly doe they pray for health but if troubled with hard hearts how coldly doe they pray to have them softned He that prayeth for a soft heart is under the encouragement of an excellent promise namely that God will take away the heart of stone give a heart of flesh which promise surely is as applicable to the people of God in all ages as that which was made to Ioshua which the Apostle cals upon all believers to make use of and depend upon viz.